AUSTIN, Texas — A domestic disturbance inside a vehicle led to a multi-car crash, a stabbing and a fatal officer-involved shooting near the Pennybacker Bridge Sunday evening.
A woman was reportedly stabbed and struck by a vehicle near the bridge on Loop 360 during the dispute, police told KVUE. Police said officials later fired shots, ultimately killing the suspect.
The suspect has been identified as 45-year-old Carlos Manuel Dodero, who was killed later in the day after an officer-involved shooting.
Officers Hugh Butler and William Bertelson are the officers that were involved in the shooting and have now been placed on administrative leave, as standard protocol. An investigation into the officer-involved shooting is being conducted by the Austin Police Department’s Internal Affairs Unit and will be monitored by the Office of the Police Oversight. Another investigation will be conducted by APD’s Special Investigations Unit, along with the Travis County District Attorney’s Office.
A timeline of Sunday's events can be found below.
Austin Police Department Chief Brian Manley said the initial call came in around 5:11 p.m. in the 5200 block of Loop 360. The caller reported there had been a crash involving multiple vehicles. He said many calls then came pouring in reporting a victim had been hit by a vehicle, a female had been pushed and pinned to the ground, and the license plate numbers of those involved were given.
At 5:13 p.m., a caller stated a vehicle had turned around and started traveling northbound on the southbound lane of the highway, crashing into another vehicle. The caller stated the subject driving that vehicle fled the scene.
At some point, Chief Manley said a family member called in to report that they got a call from a relative at this location stating she had been stabbed. Around this time, the Austin Fire Department reported they believed the suspect had fled into the woods.
The first APD officer arrived on scene by 5:18 and was directed by civilians into the area where the suspect may be. Reports stated he may have been detained by witnesses for a moment of time. The APD air unit and K-9 unit were then paged.
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At 5:51 p.m, police received reports that the suspect was texting his step-daughter telling her that her mother was OK but that he was going to be killed by officers tonight. The victim involved arrived at the hospital at 6:03 p.m.
At 6:21 p.m., officers reported that shots had been fired. By 6:35 p.m., CPR was in progress on the suspect. He was taken to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced deceased.
The female victim who was assaulted and struck by the vehicle remains in serious, non-life-threatening condition at the hospital, Chief Manley said.
He reported that the incident was recorded on police body camera, as well as in numerous witness videos shared across social media, which helped piece the information together. Police believe the incident started after a disturbance inside Dodero's vehicle.
The victim was seen getting out of the vehicle and running along the highway to get into another vehicle in an attempt to get away from Dodero. Dodero's vehicle can be seen on video driving the wrong way and crashing head-on into that vehicle. The victim can then be seen exiting that vehicle and attempting to get aid from other drivers when the suspect appears, picks her up and carries her to the side of the road.
At that point, police said people exited their vehicles and went toward the victim. Police believe this is when Dodero fled the scene on foot.
The K-9 officer then tracked Dodero toward the bridge and into the woods, where he was located. Body camera footage shows a patrol officer and the K-9 officer giving commands to Dodero to drop his weapon, and Dodero saying he will shoot. The officers are then seen firing.
The victim is described as a 44-year-old Hispanic female. Based on early investigation, police believe they were married.
Chief Manley said Bertelson has four years of experience on the team and Butler is a seven-year member.
As of 10 p.m. Sunday, police have not yet located the suspect's weapon.
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